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Modi hits back at Mani Shankar Aiyar over neech aadmi remark.

Modi says voters will give Congress a befitting reply.

After Rahul Gandhi ticks him off, Aiyar says sorry to Modi.

In a span of just three days, senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar has made a controversial statement for the second time. The latest one comes on the last day of campaigning for the first phase of Gujarat Assembly election.

Aiyar launched a frontal attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleging that the latter was a "low level person bereft of any culture".

Aiyar's controversial remarks provided fodder to the BJP to milk them to their advantage. In the past too, the party has sought to use such attacks on the prime minister to its advantage.

Modi's OBC caste and background of a tea-seller is being highlighted now.

The PM, speaking in an election rally at Surat, hit back at Aiyar. He said the voters will give the Congress a befitting reply.

"They can call me 'neech'. Yes, I am from the poor section of society and will spend every moment of my life to work for the poor, Dalits, tribals and OBC communities. They can keep their language, we will do our work," he said.

Even in the past, the BJP has projected such attacks on Modi's humble past of a tea-seller as Congress' elitist mindset which is against the poor.This may jeopardise the Congress's prospects and may ultimately harm party vice-president Rahul Gandhi who is leaving no stone unturned to defeat the ruling BJP in Gujarat.

After Rahul's admonishing, Mani Shankar Aiyar apologised to Modi.

However, Rahul's supporters have already started feeling that Aiyar may be sabotaging his leadership.

Rahul is all set to replace his mother Sonia Gandhi as the Congress president this month.

Soon after Aiyar's comments, Tehseen Poonawalla, who is considered to be a Congress supporter, posted a tweet and feared attempts from insiders to harm Rahul's interests.

He said, "I have said this privately to those that matter and I say this in public... an attempt is being made to sabotage RGs (Rahul Gandhi's) leadership. I simply cannot understand how the same people are making the same mistakes."

Tehseen is brother of Shehzad Poonawalla, Maharashtra Congress secretary who has raised a banner of revolt against the dynasty politics in the Congress.

Tehseen went on to call Aiyar an "embarrassment" and asked him to "shut up".

It is not the first time that Aiyar has said something which was seen as damaging Rahul's prospects.

RAHUL VS AURANGZEB

On December 5, when Rahul filed the nomination for Congress president's post, Aiyar compared the succession process in the party to the Mughal rule. He asked whether there was an election when Jahangir succeeded Shah Jahan or when the latter gave way to Aurangzeb as the emperor.

This comment was immediately highlighted by the BJP and Modi. While addressing an election rally, the prime minister took a dig at Rahul congratulating the Congress on their "Aurangzeb rule".

ONLY MOTHER-SON AS CONGRESS CHIEF

In October, he said that only two people can be Congress president - mother or son.

However, he was quick to add that if there was only one candidate, how an election could be conducted in the first place.

OPPOSITION'S PM CANDIDATE

In March, Aiyar had gone to the extent of questioning Rahul's capability to lead a rainbow coalition of the opposition parties to take on Modi and the BJP in 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Aiyar said Rahul, if needed, should forsake his claim over leadership of the alliance as the Congress did in Bihar in 2015, when it was the third junior partner of Mahagathbandhan and in Uttar Pradesh when it played a second fiddle to the Samajwadi Party.

TEA-SELLER

In fact, Aiyar was the first one to mock Modi's humble origins. Ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, he had said that the Congress would welcome Modi, who was Gujarat chief minister at that point in time, to sell tea at AICC meetings.

Aiyar had also taken a jibe at Modi's prime ministerial ambitions and said a place will be identified for Modi to distribute tea in AICC headquarters.

The BJP drew maximum political mileage out of the statement and went on to launch the 'Chai pe charcha' campaign which was an instant hit among the electorate.

Aiyar has done it again. While the BJP may well use the controversial remarks to score points over the Congress, the loser in all likelihood is going to be Rahul.

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